A method is described for determining angle errors when measuring slewing angles of a pivoted light-deflecting device, including the following steps: emitting a first light beam and a second light beam, which enclose a light beam angle, onto the light-deflecting device; receiving the first light beam and second light beam deflected by the light-deflecting device and reflected by an object; calculating a first propagation path of the first light beam and a second propagation path of the second light beam; pivoting the light-deflecting device from an initial position to a final position, respective slewing angles of the light-deflecting device being measured in the process and a dependency of the first propagation path on the measured slewing angles being determined; and calculating an angle error for a measured slewing angle to be corrected from the set of measured slewing angles by using the light beam angle, the second propagation path and the dependency of the first propagation path on the measured slewing angle.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method comprising: emitting a first light beam and a second light beam that enclose a light beam angle, the first light beam and the second light beam being emitted onto the light-deflecting device; receiving the first light beam and the second light beam deflected by the light-deflecting device and reflected by an object; calculating a first propagation path of the first light beam and a second propagation path of the second light beam; pivoting the light-deflecting device from an initial position to a final position; measuring respective slewing angles of the light-deflecting device; determining a dependency of the first propagation path on the measured slewing angles; and calculating an angle error for one of the measured slewing angles, which is to be corrected, by using the light beam angle, the second propagation path, and the dependency of the first propagation path on the measured slewing angle.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: calculating an actual slewing angle on the basis of the light beam angle; and calculating the angle error by comparing the measured slewing angle to be corrected with the actual slewing angle.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising determining the measured slewing angle to be corrected as that measured slewing angle for which the first propagation path is of a magnitude that is the same as a magnitude of the second propagation path in the initial position.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: determining, during the pivoting of the light-deflecting device, a dependency of the second propagation path on the measured slewing angle; and calculating the angle error by using the dependency of the second propagation path on the measured slewing angle.
5. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising determining the measured slewing angle to be corrected as that measured slewing angle by which the first propagation path as a function of the measured slewing angle must be shifted in order to match the second propagation path as a function of the measured slewing angle at least in one slewing angle range about the initial position.
6. A light-emitting device, comprising: a pivoting light-deflecting device for deflecting a light beam; a transmitting device that includes a light source for emitting onto to the light-deflecting device a first light beam and a second light beam that enclose a light beam angle; a detector for receiving the first light beam and the second light beam deflected by the light-deflecting device and reflected by an object; and processing circuitry interfacing with the pivoting light-deflecting device, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: determine a dependency of a first propagation path of the first light beam on measured slewing angles of the light-deflecting device measured while the light-deflecting device is being pivoted from an initial position to a final position; determine an angle error of one of the measured slewing angles, which is to be corrected, by using the light beam angle, a second propagation path of the second light beam, and the determined dependency; and control the pivoting light-deflecting device based on a current measured slewing angle and the determined angle error.
7. The light-emitting device as recited in claim 6 , wherein the transmitting device includes a beam splitter that splits the emitted light beam into the first light beam and the second light beam.
8. The light-emitting device as recited in claim 6 , wherein the control of the pivoting light-deflecting device causes the pivoting light-deflecting device to pivot about a specified actual slewing angle.
9. The light-emitting device as recited in claim 6 , wherein the angle error is determined by comparing the one of the measured slewing angles, which is to be corrected, with an actual slewing angle determined based on the light beam angle.
10. The light-emitting device as recited in claim 6 , wherein the one of calculating device determines the measured slewing angles, which is to be corrected, is selected as that measured slewing angle for which the first propagation path is of a magnitude that is the same as a magnitude of the second propagation path had been in the initial position.
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March 10, 2017
October 9, 2018
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